Haskell W. Beckham is the 2024 recipient of the AATCC Olney Medal. Beckham, Vice President of Innovation at Columbia Sportswear, is being recognized for his significant contributions to textile sciences. Beckham has worked in academia, consulting, and industry focusing on the development of advanced materials, textiles and test methods, and teaching and problem-solving. He has spent many years developing moisture measuring methods and heat management polymer compositions and has made several significant contributions and advancements to the textile industry.
In 2024, Beckham was awarded two utility patents for his work in textile thermal wear and composite foam for performance footwear. One patent is related to heat-reflecting materials, and the other relates to the components of performance footwear and the construction of the midsole with polymer foams. His patents will improve comfortability in articles of clothing and footwear.
Beckham is currently the Vice President of Innovation at Columbia Sportswear. Throughout his career, Beckham has applied and shared his knowledge of textile chemistry. He has held numerous leadership positions, leading and driving innovation of advanced materials and material constructions for integration into apparel, footwear, and equipment. He was involved in the development of Columbia’s heat-reflective textile called Omni-Heat Infinity and served as technical lead for partnership with the space-exploration company, Intuitive Machines. Beckham worked with Woody Blackford and others on this Millson winning invention. At Exponent, a leading scientific and engineering consulting firm, he provided numerous technical services, including project development, litigation support, failure analysis, and more. He was a named expert witness in patent infringement, product liability, and personal injury cases involving footwear, textiles, coatings, polymers, and nonwovens.
Beckham was also a professor at Georgia Institute of Technology. During his time at the Georgia Tech, he taught courses in chemistry, textiles, materials, and polymers to undergraduate and graduate students. Beckham also helped establish a campus-wide center for nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), including the first-ever laboratory dedicated to magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of fluids in textile materials. His contributions during this time include the development of imaging protocols to quantitatively measure fluid concentrations for water in textiles, which standard MRI sequences do not provide. He helped develop a new and validated wicking test that yields fundamental intrinsic properties of fluids in textiles, which is important for modeling and designing textiles for specific wicking behavior. He also served as primary research advisor for four postdoctoral, 17 PhD, nine MS, 45 undergraduate, and three high school students.
Beckham received a BS in Textile Chemistry from Auburn University, a PhD in Polymer Science from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and a held postdoctoral appointment in Magnetic Science from Max Planck Institute.
Achievements and Service
The results of Beckham’s research projects are found in peer-reviewed publications, books, presentations, and patents. Beckham has received several honors and awards, including Auburn University’s Outstanding Alumnus in Polymer and Fiber Engineering, National Science Foundation Career Award, National Science Foundation Research Initiation Award, and Alexander-von-Humboldt Research Fellowship Award. His work has also been presented in the AATCC Review and has been presented at several AATCC conferences and workshops. Beckham has been an active member of AATCC since 1983. He served on the Executive Committee on Research, and multiple research committees throughout the years.
The Olney Award
Established in 1944 in honor of Louis Atwell Onley, the founder and first president of AATCC, the Olney Medal recognizes outstanding achievement in textile or polymer chemistry or other fields of chemistry of major importance to textile science. The award consists of a gold medal, a scroll, and an honorarium.
The presentation of the medal each year is a highlight of the AATCC’s annual conference. This year, the conference, AATCC Textile Discovery Summit, was held October 6-8, 2024, at The Westin Savannah Harbor Golf Resort & Spa in Savannah, GA, USA. The Association presented the Olney Medal at the Awards Luncheon on October 8, 2024.
